It was an ordinary day for Dominic Savio Chettiar, a 22-year-old resident of Uppilipalayam near Singanallur, when he received a message on his WhatsApp from an unknown number on May 9. The message seemed appealing: an offer for an online job, a chance to earn extra money by completing multiple tasks. He had no idea that this seemingly innocuous message was the beginning of a scam that would cost him a significant sum of money.
Upon agreeing to the job, Dominic was urged to invest money for higher returns. Trusting the individual, he transferred a total of Rs 12.98 lakh in multiple transactions. But after the money was transferred, all contact with the unknown person ceased, and Dominic realised he had been a victim of a scam1. He reported the incident to the cybercrime police, leading to the registration of a case under sections 420 and 66 D of the Information Technology Act.
Unfortunately, Dominic was not alone. In a similar case, another man from Pune lost Rs 16.87 lakh to a scam orchestrated through an unsolicited message on a messaging platform. He, too, was offered a job opportunity to earn extra money through online tasks, and as he became more involved in the job, he was convinced to make additional investments in exchange for high commissions1.
These cases are not the first of their kind. Over the past few months, hundreds of victims have reported online job scams, where they were offered job opportunities on platforms like WhatsApp and later added to Telegram groups for further details regarding tasks.
This is where the Castler Escrow platform can play a crucial role in preventing such scams. Castler Escrow is a third-party service that holds a buyer’s or investor’s funds securely until the terms of a transaction are met. In the context of these job scams, if Dominic and the man from Pune had used the Castler Escrow platform, the outcome could have been drastically different.
When asked to invest money for higher returns, instead of transferring the money directly to the scammer, the funds could have been placed in a Castler Escrow account. The scammer would not have received the funds until they had fulfilled their promise of providing the job and higher returns.
This arrangement would have added a layer of protection for the victims. If the scammer failed to deliver on their promise or ceased communication, as happened in these cases, the funds would still be safely held in the escrow account. The victims could then request a refund, and after a review process, the funds would be returned, preventing financial loss.
Therefore, it’s essential to be aware of such fraudulent activities and make use of services like the Castler Escrow platform to ensure secure transactions. Not only can this help protect individuals from scams, but it can also encourage a more trustworthy online environment for all parties involved.
